


Here in Your Arms

by Hufflepuff44



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Caring Tanaka, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Not Beta Read, Not really sure how to tag, R.I.P Daichi, Sickfic, Vomiting, caring Daichi, caring asahi, we die like Daichi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24193981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hufflepuff44/pseuds/Hufflepuff44
Summary: It wasn't completely uncommon for Sugawara to get migraines, but it sure didn't mean that they were any easier to deal with. How is he going to get though both the school day and practice when the pounding in his brain scatters every thought he has? Will be be able to hide his condition from his two overly concerned friends? Probably not, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't try though.
Relationships: Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 213





	Here in Your Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is just a little blurb I suddently felt inspired to write at 3:00 AM that turned out much longer than I intended it to be! I was and am still thoroughly sleep deprived so there are probably some mistakes. Let's just pretend it's because I was a sleepy girl while writing this, and not because I was a stupid girl! Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

If Suga knew how bad he would feel when he woke up that morning, he would’ve just stayed home. If he left crappy when he woke up, he felt like absolute shit now. The teenager cradled his pounding head in his far too clammy hands as he spared a glance at the clock hanging above the classroom door. It read 11:24 PM. He still had to get through three hours and six minutes, plus afternoon practice, so more like five hours and thirty-six minutes. He clenched his warm brown eyes shut as he returned as much of his attention he could spare to the lesson. On a normal day, Suga despised math class. Sure he had a good grade, but he had to work his ass off for it. Math just didn’t make sense to him. The equations never quite lined up the way they should, none of the formulas stuck with him completely, and once he thought he finally understood the concept, more confusing layers were added on, completely ripping the rug out from under his feet. On a good day math class had the unfortunate power of giving Suga a headache, but today he already had one, and of course, the math lesson wasn’t helping.

Picking up his pencil, he scribbled down some of the problems that were written on the board. His handwriting wasn’t the slightest bit legible, but at least he could say that he tried later on when he was struggling through the homework. The lines he scribbled down on his notebook paper were far too light and shaky. He couldn’t seem to grip his writing utensil too well; his fingers couldn’t find the strength to hold onto the green mechanical pencil properly. Thankfully, the period was almost over. Suga didn’t know if he could physically handle any more numbers floating around his head.

The bell rung as he jotted down the assigned question set into the margin of his notebook, making a mental note to add the assignment to his planner once he sat down for lunch. Wincing at the shrill noise of the bell and the sudden increase in conversation around him, Suga dropped his notebook into his bag and tucked his pencil behind his ear. Usually, he’d be more careful with his belongings, but today he had no extra energy to do so. He hauled his bag over his left shoulder and slowly made his way outside. Ever since their second year Asahi, Daichi, and himself would eat lunch together under the big tree behind the school building until it was too cold or rainy to do so. Today’s weather, though, was pristine, warm with a slight breeze and only a few white, fluffy clouds dotting the blue sky. No doubt his friends would be meeting him by the tree today.

It took Suga much longer than he’d like to admit to get to the tree, after all, he had to take a break after stepping out into the sun. The increase in light sent him reeling, holding onto the railing of the staircase clenching his eyes shut as he willed the pain to draw back to what it was a few minutes prior. On top of that slight delay, Suga’s pace wasn’t what it usually was. Each footstep rattled his brain so much Suga was positive it was slamming into his skull with enough force to pulverize the organ. He kept his squinted eyes trained on his shoes, relying on muscle memory to carry him to his destination. He kept his breaths shallow as his stomach raged war against itself. He hadn’t felt queasy until he started walking, and now that he was moving, he sure felt even crappier than before.

Thankfully Suga’s muscles were able to lead him to the tree. His mood elevated slightly as he realized that he would be able to sit down soon. Honestly, Suga wasn’t sure how much lunch he was going to be able to shove down his throat (and keep in his stomach), but he had to try. Of course, there was nothing wrong with telling his friends that he wasn’t feeling one hundred percent. They already knew that he suffered from migraines occasionally. It’s just that he’d prefer they didn’t know. Asahi had the tendency to freak out whenever any of his friends were down for the count, convinced that they’d keel over and die any minute. Causing Asahi more stress than he already felt on a daily basis wasn’t something Suga wanted to do. The ace would probably explode. It was better to hide his migraine from Asahi. Daichi, on the other hand, usually was able to look at the big picture and not sweat the small things, but if it was something that affected his friends (especially Suga) he tended to get a little too hands-on. If Suga told him about his current status, he’d no doubt walk Suga home and take care of him until he felt better. Suga wasn’t going to be the reason Daichi missed classes. Especially when the captain had an English test that he’d been preparing for today. It was just better for everyone that Suga kept his problems to himself. That’s how it usually went.

“Ah, there he is!” Daichi’s shouts sent shockwaves through Suga’s skull. “What took you so long?” The fellow third-year sat with his back resting against the thick tree trunk, his legs splayed out in front of him as he bit into an apple.

Putting on his best smile, Suga joined his peers chuckling a bit. “I had to say back and ask a few questions about the lesson. You know how horrible at math I am.” He plopped down across Asahi and to Daichi’s right, his usual spot, before he unloaded his lunch. Even seeing the food made his stomach lurch uncomfortably. He hesitantly plucked up a grape and held it up to his mouth, not biting it yet. He had to wait until his stomach settled. He looked over to his friends who were watching him suspiciously. Time to start a conversation. Suga lowered the fruit from his mouth slightly. “What are you planning for practice today?”

At the mention of volleyball Daichi ran with the conversation, letting Suga’s stomach settle without any further suspicion. As much as he wanted to pay attention to the conversation unfolding in front of him, he simply didn’t have the energy. He fought the urge to dig the heels of his palms into his eyes. While the shade was an upgrade from being in direct sunlight, it was still painful to keep his eyes open, especially when looking at Asahi due to the sunlit area behind him. Suga felt his eyes gloss over, but he couldn’t find it in himself to fight it. His head was throbbing, his usual black migraine spots floating in his vision. Suga gave in to his wishes slightly and rested his temple against his hand and propped his elbow on top of his knee.

“Hey, Suga, you feeling ok?” Asahi’s voice wavered with nerves. Shit, Suga was slaking. He knew he was slacking, but he decided to let it happen anyways. He was being selfish. Now Asahi was on edge and Daichi was looking at him through a furrowed brow and a slight frown. He made mistakes, but it wasn’t too late to fix them. He just had to play it off. And if there was something Suga was good at, it was bullshitting.

He dropped his palm and sat up straighter. “Ha, yeah! I’m just kinda stressed right now.” It wasn’t his best performance, but it was better than he expected considering his current state. He tried to match his usual volume, but it just wasn’t happening today. Even the vibrations from his own vocal cords rubbing together was too much at the moment.

“What’s on your mind?” Daichi probed, his face not any less concerned.

Suga scratched the back of his neck, smiling and closing his eyes. “The usual. Just schoolwork piling up and school decisions. My parents have been getting on my case about it recently, or at least more than they have in the past. Everything is fine!” Not a lie, but also not completely accurate.

“You sure?”

“Of course! Stop fussing over me!” Suga waved his hand, trying to dismiss their uneasiness. It wasn’t working. Suga fished his phone from out of his pocket and glanced at the time. It read 11:47. Class didn’t start until 12:15, but Suga needed to get out of here. He needed to find a dark room to lay his head down in. “Ah, I should probably head back in. I wanted to do some work before class starts.”

“Suga.”

“Daichi.”

“You haven’t eaten anything.”

He popped the grape into his mouth, masking a wince. “And now I have. I’ll finish my lunch inside.” He promised as he slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up. Suga’s vision flickered white briefly, informing him that he stood up far too quickly. He felt himself swaying before a strong hand on his shoulder steadied him.

“Woah, uh, maybe you should sit down.” Daichi suggested.

Once his vision returned to him, Suga shook off the hand gently. “I’m fine, really. You know that happens to me when I stand up too fast.” He spread a smile across his face. It felt tight. Strained. Fake.

Suga’s attention turned to Asahi as he spoke up. “You look kinda pale though.”

“I’m always pale! Stop rubbing it in.” A fake pout was strapped onto the end for good measure. When Asahi didn’t look convinced, Suga dropped the joke. “Seriously, I appreciate the concern, but there’s no need to be worried about me! I’m fine!” Before his friends could interject, Suga began walking back towards the school building. “See you guys at practice!”

He made his way back to the school as quickly as he possibly could. Thankfully the hallways were pretty empty, with only a few small groups chatting and eating by the windows. He felt his stomach lurch as he walked by a group of girls snacking by the glass. On a normal day, the smell of the fish they were eating wouldn’t have bothered him too much, but today was no normal day. If it were a normal day, the grape he had eaten wouldn’t be sitting so heavy in his stomach. If it were a normal day, there wouldn’t be a heartbeat in his temples. If it were a normal day, the corners of his vision wouldn’t be blacked out.

Suga stumbled his way to the closest male bathrooms, praising whatever god was out there when he found it empty. He shakily locked himself in a stall and collapsed in front of the toilet bowl, ready to spill whatever was settled so uncomfortably in his gut. His stomach clenched and before he even knew what was happening, bile was flowing out of his mouth. The first wave brought out the single grape he had eaten and stomach acid. The next three waves consisted of painful dry heaving that made tears stream down his face. After he was sure he was done, Suga leaned his back against the stall wall, sucking in small sips of air. He usually threw up when he had migraines, and sometimes, if he was lucky, his headache would miraculously dissipate after he evacuated his stomach. Today he wasn’t lucky. His migraine was even worse now. The florescent lights of the bathroom were much too bright, even though his eyelids. The gray-haired teenager hissed as his head was throbbed violently. He didn’t want to get up. He didn’t want to sit through the rest of his classes. He especially didn’t want to go to volleyball practice. However, he was already here, so there was no point in sitting on the filthy bathroom floor for the rest of the day until both classes and practice had ended. He slowly pushed himself up and leaned against the metal of the stall before he opened the door and made his way to the sinks. Suga washed his hands before cupping them into a cup and rinsing his mouth out the best he could. He leaned against the counter as he once again fished his phone out of his pocket. 12:08. While his classroom was close by, he still didn’t have a lot of time to dilly dally.

Pushing open the bathroom door, he was assaulted by noise. There were definitely more students in the hallway now. Suga inched out of the washroom, sticking close to the wall as he shuffled his way to his destination. He had his fingers crossed that he wouldn’t accidentally run into any of his third-year buddies. He wasn’t sure he could get them off his trail if they were to see him fresh after upchucking. Hell, Suga wasn’t even convinced that he had succeeded in soothing his friends’ worries at lunch. Of course, he didn’t have any time to dwell on it now. English class was starting soon, and the last thing Suga wanted to be at the moment was late.

He made it to the classroom a few minutes before the bell rang. He settled heavily in his seat, cradling his head in his hand. His English teacher was usually pretty relaxed and didn’t mind her students leaning against their hands during the lesson as long as they were paying attention, so Suga felt pretty safe leaning his temple against his palm.

If Suga were being completely honest, the rest of the school day from the beginning of English class to his last period was a blur. Hazy as if it were a dream he had a few nights ago. He couldn’t bring himself to care all that much right now. He was just thankful he made it through the day at all. Now all he had to tackle was volleyball practice. After that, he was home free. It wouldn’t be too bad. Practice usually ran for about two hours and thirty minutes, so in reality that was only five sets of thirty minutes. That seemed a lot more digestible to Suga. He could do it. No problem.

Before he knew it, he was standing outside of the club room, not entirely sure how he quite got there. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the wall of noise he’d be smashing his head into as soon as he opened the door. Clenching his jaw, he walked in.

“SUGA!” Noya called out, as energetic as always. While Suga appreciated his greeting every day, today it sent him reeling.

“Hello, Noya!” He slapped on a fake smile as he headed to his usual corner. A few others greeted him, and Suga didn’t miss them eyeing him more than usual. He probably looked like shit. There wasn’t much he could do about it now. Best to just ignore it and focus on his goal. Making it to the end of practice without dying.

He changed his clothes as quickly as he could, but somehow he was still the last person to get to the gym. To be fair though, the gray blob in his vision made it a bit trickier to tie his shoes than it usually would.

The second Suga walked into the gym, he realized how stupid he was being. There was no way he was going to survive this practice. Not with the shouts of his teammates bombarding his eardrums. Not with the slam of balls ricocheting off the walls. Not with the bright gym lights piercing his eyeballs. Who was he kidding? He could barely walk without wincing at this point. This whole day was one huge mistake. He would walk home if he had faith that he could make it all the way back without keeling over on the side of the road. He could ask Daichi to walk him home now, but the team was never fully productive without their captain around. Daichi wasn’t like Suga. Daichi wasn’t expendable. His other option was asking Asahi to escort him, but that option wasn’t too favorable either. The upcoming Date Tech match hadn’t been sitting too well with the ace. He was nervous. That much was plain to see. He deserved to be able to practice his spikes with no unnecessary disturbances. Suga had dealt with migraines before. He had gotten through the school day with a pounding head before. He had gotten through practice feeling like he was about the throw up before. He had no choice but to do it now.

Plastering on a fake smile, he joined the rest of the group for the pre-practice meeting. Sticking to the back, he hoped no one would turn to look at him. While he didn’t have any way of seeing his appearance, the extra glances in the club room led him to believe that he didn’t look too hot. He didn’t feel too hot either, so it added up in his book. Suga studied his sneakers in an attempt to shield his eyes from the harsh lighting. It didn’t work all too well, but at least it was better than looking straight ahead. Of course, he tried to listen to Daichi’s rundown of the agenda, but, again, he just didn’t have any extra energy to spend on focusing his ears. He needed every last bit for practice. He couldn’t afford to dish it out as if it were an endless supply.

Before he knew it, the team had run off to begin stretching. That was something Suga could do. For some reason no one knew, Suga was quite limber. Stretching was always relaxing to him. It was easy. He was good at it. It felt nice to be good at something. He could get past this part no sweat. He let his mind go as he followed Daichi’s lead. Hopefully, he could rest up a bit here so that he wasn’t as screwed as he could be later on.

Sadly, every good thing has to end. Stretching wrapped up and the team began practicing serves. Suga’s situation could be worse. His biggest problem would probably be the noise. Or maybe it would be the growing gray spot in his vision. It was hard to say. Suga gripped the leather ball before throwing it up into the air. Of course, the next step would be to hit it across to the other side of the net but throwing it up was the only step he accomplished. The lights sent a whole new wave of pain through his skull as he tilted his head back to track the ball. It bounced at his feet as he hissed in discomfort. Losing his balance, he had to take a slight step back to keep himself upright. Immediately Tanaka, who was to Suga’s left was putting a steadying hand on his back.

“Yo, you ok? What’s wrong?”

Suga forced out a small giggle. “Nothing, I’m alright! I just looked directly into the light and I lost my balance for a second.”

“Uh, yeah, sure. Uh ok.” Tanaka paused. “Ya know, you should sit out if you aren’t feeling well. No one would be mad or anything.”

Suga felt his heart swell a little. Tanaka always put on a rough front, but he really was a softie deep down. “Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind if I start feeling unwell.” He flashed a smile at his unconvinced underclassman.

Now to focus on serving. The amount of noise in the gym was starting to get to him as the gray blob in his eyesight grew harder to ignore. He had to push through it though. Again he tossed the ball up, keeping it slightly lower than last time. The slight vision loss made it a bit hard to track its location. Through a leap of fate, he swung his arm when he thought it was the right time. He wasn’t completely off, as his fingers skimmed the bottom of its surface, causing it to soar forwards into the net. Suga ignored Tanaka’s worried glance as he picked up another ball. He had to try again. He tossed the ball up, trying to see through his blind spot, but again, he swung too early. His fingers skimmed the bottom of the ball, this time only sending it halfway to the net.

Groaning in a mixture of frustration and pain, he dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, as if he could scrub out the blind spot in his vision. This wasn’t the first time he experienced partial blindness due to migraines. Sure it wasn’t all too common, but it wasn’t unheard of in his personal experience. He usually only had to deal with a few black dots in his vision, which of course was annoying, but not as handicapping as blind spots. The big, gray blob in his vision was bad news. It was affecting his ability to function. Suga was getting to the end of his rope. His stomach was rolling painfully, he felt hot and cold at the same time, his hands felt far too clammy, and now his vision was fizzling out. He didn’t need Tanaka’s distressed looks on top of all that.

“Tanaka, it isn’t polite to stare.” He meant for it to come out as a joke, but his voice sounded too heavy. Too tired. Too mean for typical Suga.

“Uh, r-right! Sorry!”

Suga sighed, running a hand down his face. “I didn’t mean for that to sound so harsh. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I- just,” he paused clearly trying to formulate a sentence that wouldn’t offend his upperclassman. “Are you sure you’re ok to play today? You aren’t looking all that great.”

“Yeah, my head just hurts a bit, nothing big. I’ll sit out if it gets to be too much, ok?”

Tanaka nodded in agreement, giving Suga a small smile before turning back to the net.

Returning his attention back to the net as well, Suga couldn’t help but to notice that Daichi had his eyes fixed on him. It was obvious that the other male was worried if his knitted eyebrows and set jaw were anything to go by. The brown-haired captain caught Suga’s eyes and raised an eyebrow. The only thing Suga could do was flash his best attempt at a playful smile before he tossed his ball into the air. Luckily this time he somehow managed to smack the ball to the other side of the net. It barely cleared the top, but it made it. That’s all that mattered.

He felt Daichi’s eyes on him as the captain ended the serving practice. Suga couldn’t help but to let out a little sigh of relief. The noise of all the balls hitting the ground was getting to be too much for him. The decrease in volume sounded beautiful.

“Alright, time for a practice match.” The captain announced.

While the rest of the team cheered, Suga felt his heart drop. He could handle stretching, he could handle serving practice, he could handle simple drills, hell, he’d even take spiking practice if it were thrown at him, but a practice game where he had to use his head to analyze the best course of offensive action for his team wasn’t something he could do at the moment. He tried his best to look excited. He doubted it worked.

“Alright! Team one is gonna be Kageyama, Hinata, Asahi, Noya, Ennoshita, and Narita. Team two is me, Suga, Tsukishima, Tanaka, Kinoshita, and Yamaguchi. Let’s get to it!”

Suga cringed as noise erupted from his teammates. It felt like someone had decided to take a jackhammer to his skull. He didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to last. He slowly made his way over to his starting position on team two’s side of the net, again ignoring Daichi’s stare. Maybe if he focused really hard he’d be able to support his team in the way a good setter needs to. It was a load of shit. Suga knew he couldn’t support them properly on a normal day, so what made him think he could do it with a massive migraine and an ever-growing blind spot in his vision?

He didn’t have any more time to think about it. The serve was up. Daichi received it easily and sent it Suga’s way. He had two choices. Give it to Tanaka or Tsukishima. Which player was had a clearer shot? Tanaka? He didn’t have the energy to think about it. Angling his head awkwardly to see the ball past his impaired vision, he tossed it to Tanaka. The other team blocked the spike easily. How hadn’t Suga see Asahi, one of the tallest players on their team ready to block the bald player?

“Ah, sorry guys.” He sighed scratching his neck.

Clapping Suga on the back lightly Tanaka shot down his apology. “Don’t worry about it! We’ll get ‘em next time!”

The next serve went up. Again Daichi easily received it and sent it to Suga. Maybe he’d try to give it to Tsukishima. Just as he was about to set the ball, a sharp stab of pain pierced his brain, causing Suga to flinch heavily. The ball was sent to the blonde way off-kilter, the tall first-year barley able brush his fingers against the leather. With a dull thud, the ball hit the floor of team two’s side yet again.

Suga threaded his fingers in his gray hair, grasping at where the stabbing pain was while trying to look as casual as he could. “Sorry, my fault.”

Tsukishima just stared. Suga could tell there was more behind the usual deadpan though. He knew something was up. Suga wouldn’t be surprised if everyone did at this point. He knew he wasn’t the best player, but he certainly wasn’t this horrible on a normal day.

Yet another serve sent the ball over. Like the times before, Daichi received it and yet again gave it over to Suga. As Suga tracked the ball, flashes white and color bombarded his vision. He couldn’t see anything. The fragments of color faded and left Suga with nothingness. No visual input. Just gray. He flung his forearms above his head, just as the ball landed on them, barely missing his head which had been unguarded seconds ago.

“D-Daichi?” He was dizzy. He felt himself sink to his knees. Daichi’s footsteps rapidly approached and it wasn’t long before he felt strong hands on his shoulders.

“What happened? What’s wrong?”

The gym was eerily silent. Suga couldn’t help but to appreciate it. “I can’t see anything.” While Suga experienced vision loss before, it didn’t make it any less scary. He felt his pulse race as his hands began to tremble slightly.

“You what?” Daichi sounded panicked. Suga was almost glad that he couldn’t see his best friend’s face.

“I can’t see.”

“Wha- how?”

His head was pounding worse than it had all day. His stomach knotted uncomfortably. His head spun. This wasn’t good. “Migraine. Bad one.”

Daichi cursed under his breath. “You should’ve said something. I would’ve helped you.”

“I know. I’m stupid.”

“Shut up with that shit. You aren’t stupid. You just make stupid decisions sometimes.” He felt Daichi’s hands guide him to his feet. “Let’s get you home.”

Suga couldn’t help but to lean heavily on his friend. He was still too disoriented to stay upright on his own, especially without any visual input. Daichi was the only thing keeping him grounded. “Dai, c’mon you can’t leave. You have to lead the practice. Just drop me off at the bathroom and pick me up when practice is over.”

“You gonna be sick?”

“Maybe. Not sure yet.”

“Continue the game. I’m taking Suga home. Asahi’s in charge. Be nice to him.” Daichi addressed the team. He lowered his voice to speak with Suga. “I’m not dumping you in a filthy bathroom.”

“C’mon, Dai, the coaches aren’t here today. You gotta take charge. I’ll be fine.”

“I think your definition of fine and my definition of fine are very different.” Daichi led him to the closest bathroom and guided Suga into the handicap stall, confident that no one would have to use it at this hour. He parked Suga at the toilet bowl and moved the setter’s hands to the sides of the seat. “The toilet’s right in front of you.”

Suga mumbled a thanks and rested his head against his arm. He lurched forwards slightly as his stomach tugged awkwardly, not yet expelling whatever was left in his gut. He couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped his mouth in response to the unexpected movement. Daichi’s warm hand was rubbing soothing patterns into his back in an instant.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Daichi muttered exasperated, with a thin air of disappointment.

“Leave me here and go back to the team,” Suga said weakly.

Daichi retracted his hand and sat against the stall wall, causing Suga to whine at the loss of contact. Even though he couldn’t see at the moment, he still turned his head to where he presumed Daichi was.

“Why do you want me to leave you so badly?”

“The team needs you.”

“They need you too, which is why I’m here helping you get better.”

“They don’t need me.”

Daichi sputtered in disbelief. “Suga, you can’t be serious.”

Suga simply turned his head back towards the toilet, choosing to stay silent.

“What makes you think that they don’t need you?”

Suga’s stomach lurched again, this time causing him to cough harshly. Daichi’s hands once again found their way to his back. “I’ll ex- “another gag and a few deep breaths “explain later.”

Daichi remained silent, only speaking up to utter comforting words when Suga began dry heaving. Warm tears streamed down Suga’s pale face as his stomach cramped and convulsed trying to eject whatever it could from his body. Finally, he choked out a mouthful of bile, marking the end of this wave of nausea. He sagged against Daichi’s chest, feeling too shaky to hold himself up. He relaxed slightly as the other male gently ran his fingers through Suga’s hair.

“I wish you had told me.”

“I know.” The setter whispered.

“How are you doing in the vision department?”

“Still gone.”

Daichi sighed heavily. “I texted Asahi. He’s gonna bring our stuff to us.”

“Kay.”

Suga wasn’t sure how much time passed before he heard the bathroom door open. He heard Asahi’s hesitant footsteps inch closer to the stall before there was a soft knock on the metal door. He felt Daichi reach up and unlatch the lock.

“H-hey, Suga.” Asahi’s voice wobbled. It made Suga’s heart clench painfully. “You feeling any better?”

He could lie, but something told him that if he did, Daichi would smack him silly once he finally did feel better for real. “Not yet, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for something you can’t control.” Daichi lectured.

Asahi set the bags down. “Daichi’s right. I hope you feel better soon though. The team is in shambles without you. I had a hard time calming them down after you left.”

“They’re a rambunctious group aren’t they?” Suga’s voice was still too shaky and breathy for anyone’s liking. It was a stark contrast from his usual springy and playful sweet tone they were accustomed to.

He heard Asahi scuffing his foot on the grimy floor. “They’re scared.”

“They shouldn’t be. You can tell them that I’m fine.”

“Are you though?”

Suga pressed his back further into Daichi’s slightly sweaty chest as the other male’s tan arms wrapped around Suga’s thin waist. As much as he appreciated his friends’ concern, all this talking wasn’t helping his situation. “Yeah.”

Daichi sighed in defeat. Judging by the way Suga’s hair was ruffled slightly by Daichi’s chin, it was safe to say that he was shaking his head.

“Daichi, c’mon. It’s just a migraine. I’ve had them before.”

“Not so bad that it made you temporarily blind though.”

Suga stayed silent.

“Right, Suga?”

The gray-haired setter remained quiet.

“Oh my gosh. Why didn’t you call us for help?”

“Didn’t want to bother you guys.”

“When will you realize that we want to help you? You aren’t a burden, so stop treating yourself like you’re one.”

“It’s my problem though. Not yours. No point in dragging anyone else down. It’s fine.” He was too tired to smile anymore.

He could tell that Daichi was getting mad. The hold around his waist was slightly tighter than it had been before and Suga could feel his heartbeat picking up as it pressed into his shoulder blade. “What the hell, Suga. What isn’t connecting in your brain? We want to help you. We care about you. Why can’t you see that?”

“I don’t know.” He winced as a painful jolt shot through his brain. “Can we do this later?”

“Suga, no- “Daichi started.

“Uh, Daichi? Look at him. Maybe we should let him rest a bit?”

The captain sighed once again. “Yeah, yeah you’re right. Sorry.”

Suga couldn’t contain the little sigh of relief that slipped past his lips. The three boys sat in silence for a few minutes. For the first time all day, he felt his muscles relax as he closed his eyes (not that it made a difference). The warmth radiating off of Daichi’s body helped soothe the muscles in his back and neck and although his head was still spinning, it less than it had been before. He just needed a few hours to relax and he’d be back in tip-top shape.

Daichi disturbed the tranquil environment. “Do you think you can make it home? If not my mom might be able to give us a ride.”

“I can make it.”

“Can you see yet?”

Suga opened his eyes. His vision wasn’t anywhere close to his usual 20/20, but it was a slight improvement than what it had been when it first started. At least slight variations in lighting could be distinguished now. “Not really. A bit better though.”

“We can wait until it comes back if you want.”

“Nah, I don’t know how long it’ll take.”

He could tell that Daichi wasn’t overly happy with that answer, but he didn’t say anything. “Ok well, I’m gonna text my mom to see if she can give us a ride. I don’t want to risk you falling or anything.”

“I feel bad though. Doesn’t she work today?”

“She got off at 1:00, and don’t feel bad. I’m pretty sure she likes you more than she likes me.” Daichi removed his right arm from Suga’s waist as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The decrease of heat sent a shiver through the setter’s body. “Woah, you good?”

“Cold.”

The sound of a zipper made its way to Suga’s ears. Before he knew it, he felt something being draped over his legs. “Here you can use my jacket as a blanket.” Asahi’s voice was soft and quiet, the voice he usually adopted when Suga had a headache.

Suga put on a small smile. “Thanks.” While the sports jacket wasn’t overly heavy, it heated him up just enough to be comfortable. A soft ping alerted the trio that Daichi had a message on his phone. Suga once again felt as the other male shifted to grip his phone.

“My mom is on her way. She’ll meet us out front.” Daichi sat up gently pushing Suga up from his previously reclined state. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” Truth be told, despite being on a disgusting high school bathroom floor, he wasn’t itching to leave. Daichi was like his own personal heating pad. His embrace, firm yet soft, felt like home. In his arms, Suga could finally unwind and begin to relax, which was something he hasn’t been able to do since he woke up that morning. He couldn’t help but to groan when he had to support his own weight as Daichi slid out from behind him. Sitting still had caused Suga believe that his migraine was getting better, however, as soon as he was hauled to his feet, his head began to spin yet again the painful pulse began to beat in his skull. He would’ve fallen over had Daichi not been there to wind an arm around Suga’s small waist.

“You ok?” Daichi questioned.

Suga shivered as he slung his arm around Daichi’s neck, the other boy gripping his wrist to hold the position in place better. His legs felt entirely too unsteady, like a newborn deer taking its first steps. He felt too out of control and if there was something Suga hated it was lack of control. It’s one of the many reasons he decided to become a setter. Having full control of the offensive line, being able to decide for himself how the attack would form, having the power to decide the fate of the ball made him feel comfortable. Suga needed control in his life. He needed to be at the wheel steering. Lacking the abilities to see and walk for himself made his lungs feel constricted. So was Suga ok? No. No he was not. Could he say that though? No. No he could not.

“’M fine.” It was wobbly and weak. Suga couldn’t help it. His eyes were far too moist for his liking and the lump in his throat was growing increasingly more painful as the seconds ticked by. He couldn’t cry though. Not now. He’d made it so far without shedding any tears. No way he’d start now. Besides, it’s not like crying would help the heartbeat in his brain, in fact, it’d probably have the opposite effect. Suga bit his lip and clenched his eyes closed. Just a little bit more. Then he’d be in his bed and a few hours away from feeling like himself again. A few hours away from feeling in control again.

After Asahi had picked up all their belongings, the three of them headed out of the bathroom. The walk felt long in Suga’s opinion, but in reality it was probably only around two minutes. Thankfully Daichi was able to keep the silver-haired boy from falling over, even when his legs really began to fizzle out and disobey his brain’s orders. Suga was extremely grateful that there was no one else but his two closest friends around to see him in such a weak state. He could say without a doubt, this was one of the most humiliating moments of his high school career. Being dragged around the hallways unable to walk or navigate by himself as he tried not to cry and throw up on his shoes wasn’t the most empowering experience one could go through.

The trio eventually made it outside to the front steps. “My mom should be here in a few minutes. Wanna sit down? You’re looking kinda pale again.”

Suga felt himself give a slight nod, not trusting himself not to burst if he used his voice. He was lowered onto the concrete steps. He felt Asahi settle next to him, close enough that their knees were able to touch. Suga leaned over and rested his head against the side of the taller male’s bicep.

“Take a nice long nap, yeah?” Asahi chuckled nervously.

Again, Suga bobbed his head in approval at the idea. Although he didn’t have high hopes that he’d be able to fall asleep with his head pulsing the way it was now.

A few minutes passed in silence before Suga felt Daichi stir behind him. “I see her car. You ready to move?”

“Yeah” Suga mumbled, pushing himself off Asahi. He felt Daichi haul him off his butt and back onto his feet, once again slinging his arm around Suga’s waist. They stumbled down the steps and towards the road where the sound of a car engine could be heard. Suga heard the vehicle park and the door open.

“Step up here.” Daichi guided, making sure Suga didn’t slam his head into the doorway. Once the setter was perched in a seat, he felt Daichi reach over and buckle the seat belt. “Thanks for everything Asahi. Good luck in there. Don’t let them tear you apart.” The captain joked, referring to the team.

“Don’t mention it. Text me updates. I’ll tell the team you’ll be fine. That alright, Suga?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

“No worries. Feel better.”

The car door slid back into place, clicking closed as softly as it possibly could, which of course was still far too loud for Suga’s overly sensitive senses. The car shifted slightly as Daichi clambered in, the scratching sound of the material of his school bag rubbing against the plastic in the car resonating through the small space as he tucked his bag by his feet. The click of a seatbelt made it to Suga’s ears, making it clear that his friend was buckled in and ready to go.

“Thanks, ma,” Daichi whispered from the passenger seat.

“Don’t mention it.” She answered, just as quiet as her son. The car traveled slowly through the pickup loop in the front of the school. “I bought a bag just in case there are any accidents.”

“Thanks.”

The sound of a plastic bag being rustled indicated that Daichi had grabbed onto the object. “Here, Sug, hold your hands out.”

Suga did as he was told, extending his arms with palms up towards Daichi’s voice. He felt the smoothness of a Ziplock plastic bag in his hands. He clutched it towards his chest. It was going to be his lifeline. To be honest, Suga wasn’t sure if he had anything left to eject from his stomach and he didn’t want to find out, however, having the bag in his possession made him less nervous when the churning in his gut resumed. If it turned out that he did have something left in him, the bag would be there to prevent him from ruining the Sawamura family car. Suga didn’t think he could live with himself if he did that. Daichi’s mother was already going out of her way due to Suga’s predicament, she didn’t need the rug of her card destroyed because of it as well.

Although it was obvious that Daichi’s mom was driving as gently as she could, each turn and bump in the road sent shockwaves through him. Despite his best efforts, Suga couldn’t curb the slight moans that sneaked through his pursed lips.

“I’m sorry, hon, I’m trying to be as smooth as I can.” Mrs. Sawamura apologized softly. Suga could practically picture her dark eyebrows furrowing in guilt and her lips, which were always coated in a subtle shade of pink lipstick, frowning at the predicament he was in. Suga was almost like a second son to her, and she was almost like a second mother to him. It wasn’t uncommon that Suga’s parents would need to attend business trips for a few weeks at a time, leaving their son alone in the house. Upon learning this, he was promptly invited to the Sawamura household whenever he got too lonely, or didn’t feel like cooking for himself, or didn’t feel comfortable being on his own, or simply whenever he wanted to come over. Daichi’s mom was always happy to see him and always made him feel welcome with a motherly hug and a warm smile on her face. Of course, she’d know about his migraines. She helped him get through them before. She knew just how bad they could be and how sensitive he got during them.

“’S fine. Thank you.” He hunched forwards and held the bag in front of his face, resting his elbows on his knees. He sucked in a shaky breath as he willed his stomach to calm down.

“No thanks needed. I’m always happy to help you out.”

He heard Daichi rustling in the passenger seat. “How you holding up? You gonna be sick again?”

“Maybe.”

“Ok, well we’re almost home, just hold on a bit longer.”

Suga’s eyebrows crinkled together. “Your house?”

He could practically hear Daichi rolling his eyes as he chucked obviously exasperated. “Yes, my house. You think we’d leave you alone when you’re feeling so crappy?”

Suga knew better than to argue. Of course, he still felt like a burden, but it would just be inconveniencing Mrs. Sawamura more if he requested that he be dropped off at his own house. It was just better this way, and besides, if he was being completely transparent, he really didn’t want to be alone right now. He wanted to be with Daichi. “Thanks.”

“We’re always happy to help, honey.” Mrs. Sawamura responded as she slowly turned the car onto a quiet street.

A few minutes passed before Suga felt the car stop and the parking brake be pushed into place. Relief washed through him as Daichi unloaded Suga from the car, once again wrapping his arm around the gray-haired male’s waist and slinging Suga’s arm behind his neck. After both boys kicked off their shoes, he was led through the door and up the steps to Daichi’s room, which was a trek he could’ve made blindly, however, it wasn’t one he could make while dizzy beyond belief. Daichi knew this and led the way slowly, waiting patiently until he was sure Suga had a steady stance on each step before continuing up.

Eventually, the two of them made it to Daichi’s bedroom. The taller of the two led the way over to the bed, which was settled in the far corner of the room. “The bed is right in front of you.” He turned Suga and lightly pushed him onto the plush surface. “You should lay down for a bit, ok?” He helped the setter settle in the covers before he gently stroked some of his gray locks away from his face as Suga rolled onto his side, facing Daichi. “Try and get some sleep. Do you need a bucket or anything?”

Since Suga’s stomach had settled down and he doubted he had anything left to give, he lightly shook his head no.

“Kay, I’ll just be doing some homework at my desk so if you need anything I’ll be right here. His touch lingered for a second more before the heat disappeared from Suga’s head.

Suga had to hold in a whine at the lack of contact. He already was burdening Daichi so much. Pulling him from practice early, making him get his mom to take them home, occupying his bed. He couldn’t yank his good grades away from him too. “Ok.” A beat of silence. “I’m sorry.” He only half meant to say it. He knew it would open a conversation that would ultimately distract Daichi from his schoolwork, but he had to apologize for being such a shitty vice-captain and an even shittier friend.

He heard Daichi’s footsteps falter as the blurry shadow he cast made its way back into Suga’s limited eyesight. “Wha- Suga. Stop.” The pop of a joint shot through the silence. A telltale sign that Daichi was crouching in front of Suga’s face by the bed.

“I am though.”

“You don’t need to be.”

“Yes I do. I ruined your day. Pulled you away from practice, and I know how much volleyball means to you, and you only have so much time left to play, and now you’re missing it all because of me and my stupid headaches.”

Daichi sighed. “Suga, you’re much more important to me than volleyball will ever be. I’d give it up in a heartbeat for you. No question.”

“But Dai, you only have a little bit of time left- “

“I know, but I’m putting what time I do have into things that are more important to me. Being on the team is temporary, but what we’ve got, that’s something for the ages. No way I’d let a sport get in the way of that.”

“C’mon Dai, you can’t- “

The joint cracked again as Daichi stood up. “Don’t ‘c’mon Dai’ me.” The bed shifted as the captain crawled over Suga, laying down behind him and wrapping his toned arms around the setter’s waist yet again.

“What about your homework?”

Daichi inhaled deeply through his nose, before settling further into the embrace. “It can wait a bit. I’m putting time into what I really care about.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, I commend your strength! Thank you so much for giving my word barf a read! It means a lot to me! As always, I'd love to hear any feedback you have! Comments are most welcome (of course don't feel like you need to leave one if you don't want to)! Please remember to stay safe and healthy! Wash your hands, wear a mask when needed, and look out for others! :)


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